


You will get a sentimental feeling

by frostysunflowers



Series: simply having a wonderful christmas time [12]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Christmas Presents, Family Dynamics, Grandpa Tony, Late Night Conversations, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark has no self control, have yourself a hailing and frosty christmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:07:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28463580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostysunflowers/pseuds/frostysunflowers
Summary: Ben’s little awed gasp of delight breaks the silence. "Aww!"The dog’s tail wags even faster and he steps forward to sniff the closest person, which happens to be Peter. Ben takes this as a signal to start stroking the dog along the back in long sweeps of his hand, his face absolutely beaming with a grin."Gently, buddy," Peter reminds him softly. "Uh, Tony…""Yeah, kid?""Please tell me this is your dog."orTony has absolutely no self control.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: simply having a wonderful christmas time [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2041610
Comments: 16
Kudos: 197





	You will get a sentimental feeling

**Author's Note:**

> One final dose of festive fun from meeee.

"Stay, stay - no, no no sit - right, that’s it, okay - no, don’t follow me just - good! Good, I’ll be back in a little while, okay? Take a nap, relax, play with that...weird zebra thing you like."

Tony slips out of the partially open door and pulls it shut with a soft  _ click _ before leaning against it with a long sigh. From the other side there’s a soft thud, some scuffling, then quiet. 

"Good boy," Tony murmurs, patting the door, then heads down the hallway towards the stairs. 

On the couch in the living room, dressed in a giraffe onesie, is Morgan. Hearing Tony's footsteps, she looks up from her phone. "Can he come out yet?"

Tony claps a hand to his chest. "Gerald, is that you? You’re looking spotty."

Morgan makes a sound of disgust and goes back to her phone. Chuckling, Tony ruffles her hair as he passes by, taking comfort from the way she doesn’t duck out of reach, a sign that she hasn’t completely succumbed to the prophesied teenage loathing of her parents. 

In the kitchen, Rhodey is sliding the rather large turkey in the oven while Pepper is putting the finishing touches to a tray of sugar cookies. 

"My festive goddesses," Tony spreads his arms wide. "Can I do anything to help?"

"Get out," they both say at the same time. 

"Yeah, honey," Julie the juicer chortles from her position on the counter. "Scoot that cute behind outta here."

"Julie," Rhodey groans. "You don’t even know what he looks like."

"I don’t need eyes to appreciate a handsome man, you know," Julie all but purrs, blades whirring slowly. 

"Ten years of this," Rhodey says, fixing Tony with a glare, "all because you refused to listen to me when I said I didn’t want a juicer for Christmas."

"Oh, don’t be like that, sugarsnap. You know you love her."

Julie’s blades whirr slightly louder. "Not enough if you’re askin’ me. What’s a girl gotta do to get a bit of sugar every now and then, huh?"

Pepper, fighting a smirk, reaches out to pull Tony in for a quick kiss. "Go, before they have another domestic like last year."

Casting his eyes up to the splodge of cranberry sauce on the ceiling that’s never quite faded, Tony does as he is told, but not before stealing another kiss and a sugar cookie from the tray. He refuses to look out of the window at the snow that’s been falling hard since yesterday, covering everything in a deep layer that had Gerald refusing to step out of his hut in grouchy protest. Last time Tony checked, the fuzzy creature was tucked up in a corner beneath the heater Tony had installed for him, snoozing his irritability away. 

"Shouldn’t they be here by now?" he wonders aloud, easing onto the couch beside Morgan. She doesn’t immediately lean into his side like she used to, but one of her feet tucks under his thigh. "They said they’d be here before midday and - "

"And it’s barely gone noon," Pepper says. "Stop worrying. Peter’s driven in the snow plenty of times."

"Yeah, and I still remember the first time he did exactly that, in that absolute deathtrap of a car, and got stranded with Happy."

"Tony, that was years ago, and  _ one  _ time - "

"I’m just saying," Tony grumbles around a mouthful of cookie, casting a dark glare at the window overlooking the yard. "This is what we get for doing Christmas late this year."

"Don’t you even think about giving them a hard time over that," Pepper laughs. "It was the first one in their brand new place. They finally had room for a tree." 

"Yeah, yeah," Tony waves a hand. "I know."

He can’t be too disappointed really. For the last ten years, he’s been blessed with a family Christmas, full of all the warmth and chaos he’s come to adore, and it’s not like that’s changing now. It’s just four days later than usual, that’s all.

Morgan pokes the underside of his thigh with her toe. "You got to eat cheeseburgers with Nebula on Christmas Day."

"That is true, Morguna," Tony says, hooking an arm around her knees and giving them a squeeze. "And they were damn good, if absolutely terrible for my cholesterol levels. How many did you eat?"

"Five."

"Well, shit. Puts my three and a half to shame."

Morgan prods him again. "Mom’s word."

"We can share."

They exchange a grin just as Rhodey groans in exasperation at more of Julie’s sass, almost drowning out the sound of tyres crunching upon the snow outside. Tony barely manages to move off the couch, bones creaking in protest at his speed, and throw open the front door when a small missile of unruly curly hair rams into his legs with a cheerful yell of, "Grandpa!"

"Hey, Benny boy!" Tony says, scooping Ben up into his arms with a groan. "Whoa, you’re heavy. Did you eat all of Santa’s cookies again?"

"Nooo!"

"Are you sure?" Tony pokes him gently in the ribs through his thick jacket, earning a happy shriek. "You sure you’re still a four year old boy and not some giant in disguise?"

"He ate his body weight in mince pies," Michelle says as she walks up the porch steps, leaning over to let Tony kiss her cheek in greeting. "As did Peter."

Peter’s beanie-covered head pokes out from behind the open trunk. "Don’t judge me!"

"Honestly, kid, I’m well beyond that point," Tony chuckles, setting Ben down to let him run inside the house. "Wouldn’t be Christmas without you doing your bottomless pit impression."  He grabs Peter into a hug as soon as they’re close enough. "Jesus, did you get  _ taller?" _

Peter laughs. "What, in the two weeks since you last saw me?"

Tony eyes him suspiciously. "Wouldn’t put it past you."

Stretching up as high as he can on his toes, adding a bit more to the extra two and a half inches he already has on Tony, Peter flashes him a cheeky grin, his face morphing into that of a slightly younger Peter that has Tony’s heart flipping fondly in his chest. 

"Oh, don’t start going all sentimental, old man. I haven’t even made it into the house yet."

"Shut up," Tony retorts, swiping one of the many bags sitting at Peter’s feet and ushering him indoors where Julie is cackling up a storm as Rhodey tries to convince her to let him make cranberry sauce and Morgan is chasing Ben around the living room, making Michelle and Pepper laugh along with his delighted giggling. 

Tony’s just about to offer drinks when there’s an almighty crash from upstairs that has everyone jumping in surprise, then the telltale clicking of claws upon a hard floor at a very fast pace. There’s no time to do anything except watch as a large, floppy eared dog bounds gracelessly down the stairs and barrels into the living room, tail wagging furiously and body trembling with glee as it stares at everyone. 

Peter, Michelle and Ben stare at the dog in return. Pepper fixes Tony with a very exasperated look while Rhodey and Morgan struggle to keep their faces straight, clearly very happy with the sudden turn of events. 

Ben’s little awed gasp of delight breaks the silence. "Aww!" 

The dog’s tail wags even faster and he steps forward to sniff the closest person, which happens to be Peter. Ben takes this as a signal to start stroking the dog along the back in long sweeps of his hand, his face absolutely beaming with a grin. 

"Gently, buddy," Peter reminds him softly. "Uh, Tony…"

"Yeah, kid?"

"Please tell me this is your dog."

"His name is Gus. I did try him on Chewbarka but it didn’t take."

Peter pulls off his beanie and rubs his forehead with his knuckles. "Please tell me Gus is your dog."

"Are you encouraging me to lie? That’s not very in keeping with your superhero image."

"Oh my god," Peter groans, sharing a frustrated look with Michelle who just sighs, looking not at all surprised. "Is he for real?"

Pepper snorts. "What do you think?"

Peter looks from her to Rhodey and back again. "And you  _ let  _ him? Does May know?"

"Oh, sure, we decided to call her and Happy up on their second honeymoon and tell her right away," Rhodey scoffs. "What do you take us for, amateurs?"

"In my defence I did try to stop him," Pepper says. 

"I didn’t," Morgan adds. 

Gus chooses this moment to give a huge yawn and roll over onto his back, showing off his belly for Ben to scratch. Peter looks down helplessly before turning a somewhat hysterical glare on Tony. 

"You don’t like him?" Tony says innocently. 

"We don’t have room for a dog."

"What kind of place can fit a Christmas tree but not a dog?"

"Our place!" Peter groans, then gestures to Michelle. "We’re not home enough to look after him!"

That is a valid point that Tony can’t exactly argue with. He could try, but he knows it won’t go well. The room falls silent except for Ben’s soft laughter and Gus’ happy panting as they continue to more or less roll around on the floor together. Tony had counted on Ben becoming attached straight away, expecting Peter to react the same way with Michelle being the one to need a little convincing, but the tense hint of distress on Peter’s face suggests otherwise. 

"You said you were thinking about getting him a pet."

"We meant like a goldfish or a hamster," Michelle mutters. "Not a dog!"

Ben pauses and looks up, eyes wide. "Daddy? We get to keep Gus, don’t we?"

Before Peter and Michelle’s combined heartbroken guilt can fully take effect, and before Pepper can kick his ass and Rhodey can call May, Tony claps his hands loudly. "He can stay here."

"What?" the entire room seems to ask at once. 

"Gus can live here, and the Parker-Joneses can visit him whenever they like. Gerald could always do with a friend and I sure wouldn’t object to seeing you all more." He reaches down, barely concealing a wince as his back protests, and ruffles Ben’s hair. "Especially you, kiddo."

Pepper throws a pillow at him. "Do I get a say in this?"

"Of course you do, hon," Tony says. "Should Gus sleep downstairs or upstairs with us?"

That breaks the tension a bit and earns a laugh, though Peter recovers quickly enough to punch him none too gently in the shoulder. "You sly old man. You know he’s gonna want to be up here every weekend now."

Tony merely shrugs, winking at Michelle as she rolls her eyes fondly and kneels beside Ben to stroke Gus on the head. "Is that so bad?’

Peter gives an exaggerated sigh. "No, I guess not. God, you’re getting worse with age, you know that?"

"Merry Christmas to you too, kid." 

* * *

Much later, when an obscene amount of food has been eaten and many laughs have been shared, Tony finds himself alone in the softly lit living room, watching the fading flames of the fire as the snow continues to fall as it has been all day. 

Well, not entirely alone. For one thing, Rhodey is snoring on the couch, as is the tradition despite the fact he’s offered an actual bed each time. Being in his sixties now hasn’t changed a damn thing. 

For another, there’s a large furry lump squeezed in by his side. Tony gives it a soft pat and Gus lifts his head from Tony’s lap with a curious grunt and looks at him with big, dopey eyes. 

"You don’t need to use those on me, you know. You’re not going back to the shelter, okay? You get to stay here and be a pain in my ass and probably make Gerald more grumpy than he already is."

Gus huffs. 

"Yeah, the kid loves you. Morgan will keep you company when he’s not around."

A big, massive yawn that doesn’t smell particularly great. 

"If you’re gonna stay here, we gotta go over the hygiene rules."

"Have you told him about the no stealing your blueberries for a midnight snack rule?"

Tony smiles as Peter appears at the bottom of the stairs, a dozing but not quite fully asleep Ben in his arms. 

"Was just getting to that part. Along with my house, my rules, yada yada."

"Pepper’s in charge and you know it."

"She is," Tony grins. "Lucky me, huh? Anyway, what are you two doing up?"

"On the hunt for warm milk."

"Here," Tony holds out his arms. "Gimme."

There’s a moment or two of fidgeting in which Tony gets both elbowed and pawed in the ribs, but soon Ben is settled against his chest, arms draped loosely over his shoulders, while Gus decides to stick his cold nose into the corner of Tony's neck. He can’t really turn his head to look at where Peter is in the kitchen, so Tony settles for closing his eyes and running his fingers through Ben’s hair, gently teasing the loose curls and letting them spring back with each pass of his hand, humming a faint melody under his breath. 

"You know," Peter’s voice quietly says a few minutes later, "sometimes I forget how we almost didn’t have any of this. That I was gone for a while."

Tony opens his eyes and finds Peter perched on the edge of the coffee table, a fogged glass of milk in his hands. "That’s a good thing."

"Yeah. Kinda hard to connect the guy who saved the universe to the guy that adopts animals, hums lullabies to his grandson and looks like he’s about to start growing a ponytail."

Tony brushes the long curls at the nape of his neck with a chuckle. "What, you don’t think I’d suit one?"

"Look like a dumbass," Rhodey suddenly grunts, lapsing immediately back into another snore. 

"What he said," Peter laughs. 

"Sounds like jealousy to me," Tony says. Ben shifts in his arms and he holds the boy a little tighter while Peter reaches over to scratch Gus behind the ear. "You still mad?"

"Not mad. I’m used to your annoying habits by now." Peter meets his gaze and smiles. "And like you said, it would be nice to visit more, before you become truly senile and we have to set you free in the woods."

"Aw, Underoos," Tony grins. "I love you too." 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> And that's a wrap! Thanks so much for those of you who have been keeping up with the series, commenting and leaving kudos, hailing and I are truly appreciative of all the lovely feedback, we've had such fun <3 Hope everyone has had a lovely holiday. Best of wishes for the new year to you all!


End file.
